The prior art contemplates many diverse shoes for various orthopedic, balance, or strength training purposes, but none as diverse or effective as the present system.
Many of these shoes include soles of various configurations which are configured to be rocked or pivoted by the user for exercise or conditioning, generally the ankle area. Examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,472,508, 5,135,450, 5,197,932, 5,713,820, 5,897,464, Des 420,407 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,935.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,448 teaches a hyperbolic sole for use with an article of footwear for simulated jogging or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,432 teaches a “walking adapter for postsurgical shoes” comprising a generally radially configured piece configured to engage a selected portion along the length of the sole of a shoe for therapy “to modify the pivotal axis of the sandal during walking”.
Pat. No. Des 325,121 is a design for a “shoe sole” with no disclosure or teachings as to its use or application.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,315 relates to a “footwear exercising device” comprising a shoe having a raised forward sole area and reduced thickness heel area for conditioning the user, although it would appear that such a device would appear to be hard on the users joints.
Most of the exercise shoes of general relevance to the present invention appear to have been configured to be rocked or pivoted during use, for ankle area conditioning or the like.
Those that taught raised forward soles and reduced thickness heel areas were of different configuration to the present applied for invention, and apparently were utilized in a different fashion, for different results as well.
In summary, the prior art appears to be limited to specific use shoes which are intended to be utilized in a very limited, specialized context, and no shoe appears to contemplate or suggest a sole having a profile which allows a user to orient the sole in a variety of positions or orientations for conditioning, exercise, or treatment.